Friday, May 13, 2011

Two drag queens have been attacked in separate incidents in Liverpool’s gay quarter.

Last Friday, drag queen and DJ Lady Shaun was punched in the face in the early hours of Friday morning. She was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken jaw.

Passing police officers chased a suspect but were unable to catch him.

Lady Shaun told the Liverpool Echo: “We need to make our streets safe for everybody. I see myself as a gay ambassador to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and transsexual people and I want them to know that we shouldn’t be ashamed to stand up for ourselves.”

She also praised police for their support.

In another incident three weeks ago, choreographer and performer Calvin Fox was pushed to the ground by two people and suffered cuts and bruising to his face.

Mr Fox, who said he had never been attacked before, told the newspaper: “After last year’s Liverpool Pride, an amazing event that had no trouble reported, we thought Liverpool had woken up and accepted the term ‘gay’.”

Police said there had been a “slight rise” in anti-gay attacks but attributed this to better reporting.

Chief Insp Louise Harrison said: “People are feeling more confident and comfortable reporting these incidents to the police, whereas before lots of these crimes were going unreported.

“We have to strike a balance between a heavy police presence which could scare people off and those that say it makes them feel safer, but we will continue to talk to the gay community.”

Two years ago, PC James Parkes was left fighting for his life after being beaten in an unprovoked homophobic attack in the city’s gay village.